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Athens woman caught driving drunk on scooter

A 57-year-old woman was arrested Sunday morning after she was stopped for driving a motor scooter while intoxicated, Athens-Clarke County police said.

An officer responded to the Piggly Wiggly on North Avenue on an employee’s complaint about a drunk customer whose scooter fell on her as the customer was parking it in a handicap parking space, according to police.

An officer stood by and watched as Leah Waldman Veasley staggered from the store, got on the scooter and then briefly drove on the wrong side of the road, police said.

When the woman stopped at a red light the officer tried to get her attention by activating his patrol car’s emergency lights and siren, but when the light turned green Veasley continued to drive.

After the woman finally pulled over on Old Hull Road she told the officer that her driver’s license was suspended for a DUI conviction 15 years ago, police said, and that the person who sold her the scooter told her that she did not need a license to drive it.

Veasley, of Danielsville Road, was charged with DUI, habitual violator driving with a revoked license, improper driving, driving on a suspended license, as well as cited for the handicap parking space violation, police said.